Two Democratic senators who were part of the committee put together by the Senate to inform the governor that the Senate adjourned said Martinez was “furious” at the death of capital outlay and a bill with tax cuts and said she would inform the entire state about what they did.

The Albuquerque Democrat said the two, along with Sen. Steven Neville, R-Aztec, informed the governor that the Senate had adjourned sine die,and that Martinez was ” threatening ‘the people of the state are going to know what you’ve done. Throwing seniors out of their centers.’ She was just so angry. She was furious.”

Neville had already left the state capitol, a Roundhouse staffer told New Mexico Political Report.

Asked about the confrontation, a spokesman for Martinez said, “The governor told the senators the same thing she said at her press conference — like most New Mexicans, she’s disappointed they put partisan politics ahead of moving our state forward.”

The failed capital outlay bill was one source of her anger, according to the Senators.

“The blaming the senate for the senior projects that were lost, educational facilities, the jobs that are lost is absolutely inaccurate and that’s the way they’re going to try to spin it,” Morales said. “The reality of it is we sent a good capital outlay bill it was in good faith and that was changed by the House and brought over to us with just minutes to go in this legislative session.”

Both House Republicans and Martinez did, indeed, blame Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez for the failure for capital outlay to pass.

Another source of Martinez’s ire, according to the two Democratic Senators, was the failure of a tax bill that was the subject of a short filibuster at the end of the session.

Sen. Cisco McSorley, D-Albuquerque, spoke for over fifteen minutes blocking the bill at the end of the session, not only speaking about why he opposed the bill, but also about the noise in the room and even joked with Lt. Gov. John Sanchez about his hair.

“‘I’m going to make sure that Cisco McSorley and what he did this morning is known to everybody in this state,'” Martinez said according Ortiz y Pino.

When asked about it at her press conference later on Saturday, Martinez said, “You would have to ask Senator McSorley why he did that.”

Ortiz y Pino said they didn’t say anything inflammatory. “We said, ‘Governor, we are here to inform you that the Senate has adjourned sine die. And then, ‘Boom.'”

Asked if it was something related to the 2016 elections, when all 42 seats in the Senate will be up for grabs, Morales said it didn’t matter because it was not their job to be reelected, but to represent their district in the best way they know how.

The elections in 2016 seem to be on the mind of Martinez and Republicans.

When asked about a statement by Gentry blaming the failure of some legislation to pass the Senate on Michael Sanchez, Martinez said that was a question for Sanchez.

“Michael Sanchez can answer for himself and the failure of the leadership of the Senate Democrats and their failure for killing jobs, their failure to doing what New Mexicans want, their failure to make sure there are more people working,” Martinez said. “He can answer for himself.”

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A day after state health officials announced the highest single-day number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, they announced 129 additional confirmed cases and five additional deaths related to the disease. On Saturday, the state Department of Health announced five additional cases at the Otero County Prison Facility.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law Friday that protects working mothers and new moms from discrimination in the workplace. HB 25, or the Pregnant Worker Accommodation Bill, amends the state’s Human Rights Act to make pregnancy, childbirth and conditions related to either a protected class from employment discrimination.

Public health orders restricting some businesses and public gatherings are slowly being lifted, but the New Mexico Supreme Court’s restrictions on eviction proceedings and limitations on civil cases in general are still in place. State Supreme Court Justice Shannon Bacon said she expects an increase of civil cases once courts are fully functioning.
“What we’re anticipating with the health pandemic and the downturn of the economy and a really high unemployment rate are issues that really raise their head in the same way they did in 2008 and 2009 with the recession,” Bacon said.

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller this week told city police officers to stop the city’s DWI vehicle seizure program. Under existing ordinance, the police department can impound vehicles after DWI arrests, but before the driver has been convicted.

Bernalillo County commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Antoinette Sedillo Lopez Monday morning to fill the vacancy left by former state Senator Cisco McSorley. A long-time professor at the University of New Mexico Law School, Sedillo Lopez ended a year-long campaign for Congress last summer.

An Otero County Commissioner and leader of a group that supports President Donald Trump is facing calls to resign over his declaration that “the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.”
The commissioner, Couy Griffin, made the remarks this weekend at a protest in Truth or Consequences where a number of elected officials and candidates for office spoke against restrictions imposed by the state to slow the spread of COVID-19. The protest came after a church in Truth or Consequences received a cease and desist for holding services despite the state’s public health emergency order that, at the time, banned in-person services.

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A day after state health officials announced the highest single-day number of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, they announced 129 additional confirmed cases and five additional deaths related to the disease.

State Human Services Department Secretary Dr. David Scrase offered some data supporting the use of masks and social distancing to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The use of face masks in public has become a polarizing topic among some communities as the state has loosened its restrictions on businesses, including closures, over the last week.
While cloth masks aren’t suitable for use in healthcare settings, Scrase said they are still useful at preventing the spread of the illness among the general public.

Public health orders restricting some businesses and public gatherings are slowly being lifted, but the New Mexico Supreme Court’s restrictions on eviction proceedings and limitations on civil cases in general are still in place.

Matthew Reichbach is the editor of the NM Political Report. The former founder and editor of the NM Telegram, Matthew was also a co-founder of New Mexico FBIHOP with his brother and one of the original hires at the groundbreaking website the New Mexico Independent. Matthew has covered events such as the Democratic National Convention and Netroots Nation and formerly published, “The Morning Word,” a daily political news summary for NM Telegram and the Santa Fe Reporter.